Turkey Hunters Watch In Awe As Two Florida Panthers Throw Down Right In Front Of The Blind
That would certainly be an unexpected event in your morning hunt…
And the type of event that only happens once in a lifetime.
To see a cougar in the wild is a pretty rare thing. They’re generally one of the more elusive and stealthy predators in all of North America. So, while seeing two cougars going at it is pretty extraordinary, to have the rarest subspecies doing that makes it all the more uncommon.
Florida panthers are regarded as a subspecies of mountain lions (or cougars as they’re sometimes called), and native to Florida. They’re technically not a true sub-species since the only real difference is that Florida panthers generally have a kinked tail and a unique fur patch on the back, which seems to have evolved as a result of inbreeding due to the low numbers.
These big cats are considered a rare and endangered species, with only a few hundred individuals left in the wild.
Florida panther males will often fight for territory and dominance. These territorial battles serve to establish dominance and protect their mating rights. Florida panthers are solitary animals and will defend their territories from other males to ensure access to food and mates.
A father and son were out for a turkey hunt when the craziest thing happened. As they sat calling out some gobblers, a ruckus started and crows started to lose their minds.
Before they knew what was happen a pair of panthers were right in front of them going at it hard.
The pair of hunters got an up close and personal view at this wild fight.
The father summed it all up in the video.
“As the gang of crows got closer I peeked out of the right side of the blind and I caught movement, and sure enough it was a young male Florida panther. As I was pulling the phone out to get some footage of him, out came quite possibly the same cat I saw with my daughter one year and two days before and hit him like a freight train!
As the battle went on, A pack of rather large wild boars came running in to the screaming of these to Apex predators. One of the Boars, was really hell-bent on settling some old scores I guess, and came in hot right up to about 6 feet and probably was the reason the younger cat made it out of there alive.
This is why I love being a Man of the Sea and the Wilderness, you just can’t quite ever imagine what’s amazing thing is going to happen…”
This is what hunting is all about…
Making memories and moments those two hunters will talk about forever.